Red Tape Movement- The Power of WE!

My name is Prabhat Misra; I work for the government as an officer in the district of Etawah in India. I also run a peaceful and non-violent movement to save trees and preserve biodiversity. I named it “Red Tape Movement”.

This movement was started by me on June 5th, 2008. Under this movement, especially on a holiday, we choose a village and go to this village and plant trees. While we are there we also tie red tape (forestry tape) on existing tree trunks. We get the people living in the village to help us and while we are working we talk with the volunteers about how cutting trees is lethal to us and future generations.

I started the movement with the help of a local Non-Governmental Organization called “Swami Vivekanand Sewa Sansthan” in Etawah. Initially we faced the problem of getting cooperation at the grassroots level. With our continuous effort to promote the importance of trees, protecting biodiversity and the dangers of climate change, positive changes and cooperation have been achieved.

We have tied Red Tapes on about 10,000 tree trucks with the help of villagers. The Red tape Movement has grown from a few people to many. In India we call it the “People’s Participation Movement”. Red Tape Movement has also been part of Earth Day, Earth Hour and 350.org’s “Connect the Dots”.

“Such people’s participation movements are the need of the hour to save our biodiversity and nature”- Prabhat Misra

ACTION: Start a Red Tape Movement in your community. Don’t forget to send your photos and your stories to us and also to Mr. Misra to your your support of his movement and your commitment to protecting biodiversity.

Students of Elgin High School participating in the #RedTapeMovement

FROM THE UN

From Ecological Trauma to Ecological Revolution: 1 percent household income can bring a major change

On Wednesday, 02 September, 2015, a major study, related to mapping of global tree density, was released in the reputed research Journal ‘Nature.’ According to this report, 15 billion trees are cut down yearly and the number of trees has fallen by 46 percent since the advent of human civilization. This situation is a global ‘ecological trauma.’

The situation of forests in most populous nations of the world is alarming. China 139 billion trees (102 trees per person), India 36 billion (28 trees per person), U.S. 228 billion trees (716 trees per person), while Russia have tree population of 641 billion or 4461 trees per person.

According to University of Michigan’s ‘Global Change Curriculum,’ it is only after more than 100 years that forests become as they were before the cut. Thus, global deforestation situation is alarming.

Food and Agriculture Organization’s, ‘2015 Global Forest Resources Assessment,’ reported that the world’s forested area declined from 31.6 to 30.6 percent of the Earth’s land surface. This represented a loss of 129 million hectares of forest — equivalent to nearly 500,000 square miles. According to the United Nations, that’s ‘an area almost equivalent in size to South Africa.’

Major causes of forest loss include commercial agriculture, logging, urbanization, industrialization due to increasing pressure of human population and household explosion.

In an important research paper, published in journal ‘Population and Environment,’ February 2014 edition,researchers Mason Bradbury, M. Nils Peterson, and Jianguo Liu identified that the total number of global households are growing much faster than the growth of the world population itself and world is on the brink of ‘household explosion.’ Increasing number and decreasing size of households means the same number of people live in twice or more as many homes and requiring twice or more as many resources to build and furnish them. This situation is worried coz smaller households are on average less efficient as they cause more pressure on forests and environment and will enhance degradation of environment, deforestation and biodiversity loss. Such condition will enhance global warming and climate change.

According to the 15th Indian Census provisional reports released on 31 March 2011, the Indian population increased to 1.21 billion with a decadal growth of 17.64%.India is projected to be the world’s most populous country by 2025, surpassing China. The major concern is the increasing household numbers and decreasing household size. Per 2011 census, India has about 247 million households. There were 151 million households were in 1991 Census and 192 million households in 2001 Census. The household size in India has dropped in recent years. The average size of household in India as per 2011 census was 4.8 members per household, while in 2001 Census the size of household was 5.3.

To cope with such situation, every household should donate or surcharged with at least 1% of income per month for ‘Environment Protection,’ apart from other measures like afforestation, grass root level awareness, banning clear cutting of forests, sustainable development, population control etc. On a household basis, the average income in India was $6,671 per household in 2011 and these households produced a GDP of about $1.7 trillion. According to data released by the World Bank on July 01, 2015, India’s gross national income per person rose to $1,610 a year during 2014. It means that every household should donate or spent at least $ 66.71 for ‘Environment Protection,’ by adopting green technologies, plantation and plant protection, use of renewable energy, living sustainable life, using eco-friendly products, energy conservation and making aware at grass root level to other people to do the same. Thus, this will be a big co-operation by citizens and it will bring ‘Ecological Revolution’ by supporting environment protection by approximately $16477.37 million annually, if every household support through just 1% of their income.

Environment, oxygen and carbon di-oxide can never be partitioned. Earth is under severe pressure; according to ‘Global Footprint Network, humans have already used up this year’s supply of natural resources in less than eight months, due to increasing demands of world population on the planet. UNITED WE can fight better than ISOLATED WE, against Climate Change. Climate Change is going to be irreversible. Every nation will face it if immediate and effective actions not taken.

My love and blessings to dear students for their bright and successful future. My regards to you and all respected and dedicated Teachers.